Government seeking to build career public service – Minster Harmon

The administration is currently working on creating a professional career public service because it recognises the value of its human capital. This is according to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.
Minister Harmon was at the time responding to questions from the opposition Members of Parliament in the National Assembly, during the ongoing examination of the 2016 budget estimates.
Minister Harmon who has responsibilities for the Public Service department explained that his administration inherited a large number of contract employees. However, there are plans to bring those workers into the traditional public service.
“The bulk of the public service is contracted employees. What we have said is that we will gradually merge all of these persons who are on contracts into the traditional public service. We have already begun conversations with the Public Service Commission and we said is the GS1 and GS2 level we will start with that process,” the House was told.
Persons below age 45 who are on contracts will be given an opportunity to join the traditional public service.
“What we hope is that over the next five years we would have a public service that is made of career public servants,” Minister Harmon explained.
The Public Service Training College will be operationalised this year and will facilitate training of persons entering the public service.
The Minister reported also that an agreement was recently entered into with the Caribbean Leadership Programme to train high-level public servants and that training has begun.